■^^'.h^- 



TV>ovr»4»S, **!f\ ^ 




rus. 



,V T, 



^^ano. 






>4w^- 




Class_fe2i 
Book ^ ^ So 



f 

1 88 1.} The Manuscript Troano. 625 



(^From the American Naturalist, August, 1881.) 

THE MANUSCRIPT TROANO.^ 
V 

BY PROFESSOR CYRUS^THOMAS. 

This manuscript was found about the year 1865 at Madrid, 
Spain, by the Abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg while on a visit to the 
Library of the Royal Historical Academy and named by him 
" Manuscript Troano," in honor of its possessor Don Juan de Tro 
y Ortolano. 

So far as I am aware nothing more is known in reference to its 
history ; we are not even informed by its last owner where or how 
he obtained it. In ordinary cases this would be sufficient to 
arouse our suspicions as to its genuineness, but in this case the 
work itself will dispel all such suspicions. 

This work was reproduced in fac-simile by a chromo-lithographic 
process, by the Commission Scientifiqiie du Mexique under the 
auspices of the French Government, Brasseur de Bourbourg 
being the editor. 

The original is written on a strip of Maguey paper about four- 

^ Extracts from a paper now being prepared by Professor Thomas for the Bureau 
of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution. 



c 



626 The Manuscript Troano. [August, 

teen feet long and nine inches wide, the surface of which is covered 
with a white paint or varnish on which the characters and figures 
are painted in black, red, blue and brown. It is folded fan-like 
into thirty-five folds, presenting when the folds are pressed together 
the appearance of an ordinary octavo volume. The hieroglyphics 
and figures cover both sides of the paper comprising seventy 
pages, the writing and painting of the figures having been 
apparently executed, after the paper was folded, so that the fold- 
ing does not interfere with the writing. • 

A slight examination of this manuscript is sufficient to con- 
vince any one at all familiar with Landa's characters that those 
used here are substantially the same, be the significations what 
they may. On almost every page are to be found columns of 
characters agreeing precisely with those given by him as repre- 
renting the Maya days. Are they used on account of the signifi- 
cation of the words they represent, as Brasseur supposed, or 
simply to designate days ? 

The determination of this point must be one important step 
toward ascertaining the object and contents of the work. 

Another prominent feature of the manuscript is the great num- 
ber of numerals or numeral characters — short straight lines and 
dots — found on every plate. These, together with the columns 
of day characters, constitute fully one half the written portion of 
the work ; hence if we can ascertain the method in which, and 
the object for which, these were used, sufficient will have been 
learned to indicate, beyond doubt, the character of the work, and 
will render the task of deciphering the hieroglyphs much easier 
than to work at them blindly. 

Assuming that the reader is familiar with what has already 
been written upon this subject, I will at once proceed with what I 
believe to be the correct explanation of the use of these two 
classes of characters in this manuscript, and which I believe is the 
key that will ultimately unlock its mysteries. 

As I shall have occasion to refer very frequently to the Maya 
calendar, and cannot, without occupying too much space, give 
here a full explanation of it, I refer the reader to the following 
easily accessible works : " Bancroft's Native Races," Vol. 11, and 
Dr. Valentini's article in the Proceedings American Antiquarian 
Society, giving here only the following brief summary : 



1 88 1.] 



The Manuscript Troano. 



627 



TABLE I. 







No. of 


Mos. 


Maya Days. 


I 


Kan 


2 


Chicchan 


.3 


^ Cimi 


4 


' Manik 


s 


Lamat 


6 


Muluc 


7 


Oc 


8 


Chuen 


P 


Eb 


10 


Ben 


II 


Ix 


12 


Men 


13 


Cib 


I 


Caban 


2 


Ezanab 


1 


Cauac 


4 


Ahau 


■; 


Ymix 


6 


Ik 


7 


Akbal 



Their year consisted of eighteen months of 
twenty days each, and five intercalated or added 
days at the end. These added days — to make the 
full number, 365 — were not counted in any of the 
months, as the month never counted more or less 
than twenty days. The names of these twenty 
days are given in the annexed table. Although 
they were sometimes numbered from i to 20, yet 
the usual method, especially in computations of 
time relating to religious feasts and ceremonies, was 
as shown in the table. Commencing with i they 
were numbered to 13, the following day instead of 
being 14 w^as numbered i, the next 2, and so on to 
13. As will be seen from the table, supposing it to 
represent the first month, the second month would 
begin with 8 Kan, and so on through the year as 
shown in the following table of the months and days : 

TABLE II. 



E 

^ 

Numbers of the Months 

Names of Days. 

Kan , 

Chicchan 

Cimi , 

Manik 

Lamat , 

Muluc 

Oc 

Ciiuen , 

Eb , 

Ben , 

Ix 

Men , 

Cib 

Caban 

Ezanab , 

Cauac , 

Ahau , 

Ymix , 

Ik 

Akbal 



U 



*3 O 



IE" 



13 



14 



IS 



16 



17 



18 



13 






Kan 

Chicchan 

Cimi . 

Manik. . . 
Lamat . . . 



628 



The Manuscript Troano. 



[August, 



If the first day of the year was Kan, as in this table, then each 
month would commence with Kan and end with Akbal, though 
numbered differently. If the last day of the i8th month was 9 
Akbal, as shown in this table, the five added days would be 10 
Kan, 1 1 Chicchan, 1 2 Cimi, 1 3 Manik and i Lamat ; the first day 
of the next year would be 2 Muluc. 

When the year began with 2 Muluc, the last day of the iSth 
month would be 10 Lamat and the five added days would be 1 1 
Muluc, 12 Oc, 13 Chuen, i Eb and 2 Ben. The next year would 
then begin with 3 Ix. Following out this process we shall find 
the years commencing as follows: i Kan, 2 Muluc, 
3 Ix, 4 Cauac, 5 Kan, 6 Muluc, 7 Ix, 8 Cauac, 9 
Kan, 10 Muluc, 11 Ix, 12 Cauac, 13 Kan, i Muluc, 
2 Ix and so on, the first day being in all cases one 
of these four. As 13 is a prime number it will 
require a cycle of 52 years — 13 x 4 — before we 
again reach i Kan. I give here a table of one of 
these cycles, showing the order of the years for this 
length of time. The names by which the years of 
the different columns are designated are given at 
the head of the columns. 

Although their system was somewhat compli- 
cated by this singular method of numbering the 
days and years, still it is not difficult to understand 
it so far. But in order to further complicate this calendar, which 
was undoubtedly devised by the priests as Landa truly says, " to 
deceive this simple people," another period called the Katun or 
Ahau was introduced. This period, according to most authori- 
ties, consisted of twenty years, but according to Perez of twenty- 
four. Instead of being numbered in regular order, one, two, 
three, &c., these periods were also numbered by the thirteen 
series, but in the following singular order: 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, i, 
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, the 13th Katun preceding the nth, and 
so on. 

The chief difficulty experienced in attempting to bring this 
period into harmony with the system so far as given, is, ist. The 
uncertainty as to whether it consisted of 20 or 24 years ; 2d. To 
place these periods in their proper positions in the great cycle, 
that is, to determine what year in any cycle was the first year of 
a Katun. If this can be done, then it is not difficult to compare 



TABLE III. 




cj 




6 




^ 




c3 




■3 




3 

6 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 



i88i.] 



The Manuscript Tr^ano, 



629 



the years of the Maya calendar with those dated from the Chris- 
tian era, if any one can be determined. 

The reader will observe that we have so far proceeded upon 
the assumption that the first year of the cycle was i Kan, or in 
other words, that the Kan column always occupied the extreme 
left. That the four days, Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac — or " year bear- 
ers," as they were called by the Mayas — must follow in the order 
given, is manifest, but that Kan must come first does not follow 
from anything apparent in the system itself; either day may be the 
first, without any change in the system, but not without a differ- 
ence in the result. There are some reasons apparent in the manu- 
script itself for believing that the author considered Cauac the 
first, or ruling day, and hence Kan the second, Muluc the third 
and Ix the fourth. One of these reasons will be given here- 
a,fter. 

The importance of knowing which one of these days came 
first will be apparent from the following illustration: A certain 
event, for example, is dated a particular day in the year, i Ix. By 

reference to the tables we 
give here — one commenc- 
ing with Kan and the other 
with Cauac — we see that if 
the forro^er be the correct 
one, the year i Ix would 
be the 27th year of the 
cycle (it is marked with a 
star) ; if the latter, it would 
be the 40th, or 13 years 
later. 

As we shall have to re- 
fer very frequently to the 
calendar, it becomes neces- 
sary that we construct one. Since the system admits of fifty-two 
changes in the day on which the year begins, it would require 
fifty-two calendars to include the years of one cycle, just as four- 
teen are required to suit all the years of our system — seven for 
the ordinary and seven for the leap years. 



TABLE IV. 


TABLE V 


• 






d 




u 







d 








_S 




csi 


rt 




3 






i 


"3 


I— 1 


s 

rt 



§ 
rt 











I 


2 


3 


4 


I 


2 


3 


4 




5 


6 


7 


8 


5 


6 


7 


8 




9 


10 


II 


12 


9 


10 


II 


12 




13 


I 


2 


3 


13 


I 


2 


3 




4 


5 


6 


7 


4 


5 


6 


7 




8 


9 


10 


II 


8 


9 


10 


II 




12 


13 


I* 


2 


12 


13 


I 


2 




3 


4 


5 


6 


3 


4 


5 


6 




7 


8 


9 


10 


7 


8 


9 


10 




. II 


12 


13 


I 


II 


12 


13 


I* 




2 


3 


4 


5 


2 


3 


4 


5 




6 


7 


8 


9 


6 


7 


8 


9 




10 


II 


12 


13 


10 


II 


12 


13 





As it would require much time and space to write these out in 



630 



The Manuscript Troano. 



[August, 



full, I have adopted the expedient shown in the following table of 
abbreviating the work : 

TABLE VI. 



< 















































^•5 


5.0 



t-t 


N 


fO 


•>!l- 


10 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 









ro 


M 


10 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 









ro 




t^ 


00 


0\ 





l-t 


C^ 


t-i 


HH 


N 


ro 


^ 


10 


VO 


r^ 


00 


ON 





M 


N 


ro 


M 




<^ 


M 


N 


ro 


n- 


10 


VO 


r^ 


00 


ON 





Kl 




ro 


M 


M 


r<-j 


Ti- 


ui 


VO 


^ 




VO 


t^ 


00 


On 





1^ 




fO 


M 


N 


ro 


"* 


10 


VO 


t^ 


00 


On 




)-4 


« 


N 

M 











t-4 


N 


m 


Tl- 


XO 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 





hH 




ro 

M 


« 


N 


ro 


^ 


m 


a\ 




m 





t^ 


00 


ON 





« 


M 


ro 


" 


N 


ro 


"* 


vr> 


VO 


Jr^ 


00 


On 





M 


00 




M 


N 


fO 


" 


N 


to 


^1- 


U-) 


VO 


t^ 


00 


On 









ro 


« 


N 


ro 


rt- 


t^ 




rt- 


10 


vO 


t^ 


00 


0\ 





M 


N 

H4 


ro 


M 


N 


ro 


-* 


in 


VO 


t^ 


00 


On 





vo 







M 


N 




« 


c« 


to 


Th 


u-i 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 





M 


N 


ro 


M 


C^ 


CO 


VO 00 




ro 


-* 


u-> 


vO 


r^ 


00 


ON 









ro 

t-i 


M 


N 


ro 


"^ 


IT) 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 






Os 





M 




ro 


M 


N 


CO 


'I- 


10 


VO 


t^ 


00 


ON 





hH 


1-4 


ro 

M 


M 


N 


M 




N 


ro 


rh 


VO 


vO 


r^ 


00 


ON 





i-i 


11 


ro 


M 


« 


ro 


't 


U-) 


VO 


r^ 


00 






CO 


On 





t-( 


N 




« 


N 


ro 


Tj- 


\ri 


VO 


t^ 


00 


On 



hH 


w 


1-H 


ro 


IH 


1^ 




»-i 


N 


ro 


■!t 


ii-> 


VO 


i^ 


00 


ON 





i-t 




ro 


« 


N 


CO 


T^ 


10 


VO 


t^ 






t?; 














































w 




























nf 


















Q 
Is 






_3 

u 


hH 


4) 


J3 






,0 


U 


(Si 




l-H 


a! 
,0 

< 






G 


"S. 


s 










3 




(0 

eq 


<1 




















































































fl 














































(fl 












3 
"3 


c 
S 

3 

U 


1 


U 






^ 

w 




1— 1 


(3 


G 


ni 
CJ 






oi 


=1 
<! 


X 


t-4 


Is 





(J 

',3 
u 


G 


"S 


a 
H-1 



^ S 3 



W CJ u 



O J3 ^ (U 






3 X CJ 

N rt -^ .S ^ rM 



U <1 



-^ .'^ -cl 



5 g .2 

rrt H -^ 



^Mcjul^H-lI^OuWMHSi^OCJW 



1 88 1.] The Manuscript Troano. 631 

As each of the four days (the year bearers) can "have but thir- 
teen different numbers, it is unnecessary for us to have more than 
thirteen columns of numbers ; when we reach the thirteenth col- 
umn, or month, we have passed through all possible changes of 
numbers, and the fourteenth month begins with one as did the 
first. Instead, therefore, of having eighteen columns in our table, 
we need to extend it only so as to include thirteen, as we can 
use the first, second, third, fourth and fifth respectively for the 
fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth 
months, as indicated by the numbers of the months which we 
have placed above the table. 

The reader must bear in mind the fact that although we have 
numbered the months as commencing with the left hand column, 
which has i for its upper figure ; yet this holds good only when 
the year is i Cauac, i Kan, i Muluc or i Ix, and for none of the 
other years. The first month of the year may be any one of the 
thirteen columns, thus, 8 Cauac, 8 Kan, 8 Muluc and 8 Ix have 
the second column — which ha's 8 as its top figure — as their first 
month, then the one with 2 at top will be the second month, and 
so on to the thirteenth (7 at top) which will be the 12th month. 
Then we go back to the first column (i at top) for the 13 month, 
and so on to the one with 10 at top for the i8th month. As the 
months always retain the same order and numbers, by knowing 
the column with which the year begins, we can, by counting in 
this way, find any month for any possible year. We must here 
warn the reader against confounding the days of month with the 
days of the week, the latter being the ones by which the days are 
usually designated ; we must also warn him against confounding 
the numbers of the months with the top numbers of the columns. I 
will now show how this table is to be used by giving one or two 
examples : 

Given the day 8 Ahau and the year 1 1 Kan to find the month 
and day of the month. As the year is 1 1 Kan, we must look to 
the Kan column. By running our eyes down this column we find 
that Ahau is the 17th day ; then by looking along the 17th trans- 
verse line we find the figure 8 to be in the column which has 5 
at the top, which we find is the second (always counting both) 
from the column with 1 1 at top ; hence 8 Ahau of the year 1 1 
Kan is the 17th day of the 2d month. 

In the same way we find that 8 Ahau of the year 1 1 Muluc is 



632 The Manuscript Troano. [August, 

the 1 2th day of the 12th month, but in this case we have to count 
the columns from the one having 1 1 at top (always inclusive) to 
the right through to the thirteenth (the one with 7 at top), and 
then go back to the first and count up to the one in which we find 
8 in the twelfth transverse line. 

In the Perez manuscript, translated by Stephens and published 
in his " Yucatan," Vol. 11, we find it stated that one Ajpula died 
" in the year 4 Kan, the i8th day of the month Zip on 9 Ymix." 
The year 4 Kan begins with the column of our table which has 
4 as its top figure; the third month (Zip) will then be the one 
with 5 at the top ; running down this to the eighteenth transverse 
line, we find the figure 9, we also find that the 18th day of the 
Kan column is Ymix, agreeing exactly with the date given. 

In the Manuscript Troano we find another 
method of giving dates, which is very com- I ' ' ' (red) 
mon throughout the work, thus : ] , . , r^i^^Y. 




This, according to my interpretation, signifies 1 3 Ahau of the 
13th month. As neither the year nor the day of the month is 
given, it is evident that we may find four dates satisfying the de- 
mand. Turning to our table we commence with the Ahau in the 
Cauac column, which we find is the second day of the month. 
The 13 in the second transverse we find in the column having 11 
at the top ; by counting back thirteen months (always including 
the one counted from and to) we find that the first month of the 
year is the one with 6 at the top, hence the year is 6 Cauac. The 
backward counting is exactly the reverse of the forward count- 
ing — count toward the left until the first column is reached, then 
return to the thirteenth and so on until the number of the month 
required is reached. 

Proceeding in the same way with the Ahau in the Kan, Muluc 
and Ix columns, we find the years to be 4 Kan, 9 Muluc and 
I Ix. 

We are now prepared to discuss the question as to whether the 
numerals and day characters are used in the manuscript simply 
as dates or not. 

By counting, I find there are about 235 recognizable columns 



1 88 1,] The Manuscript Troano. 633 

of day characters in the work, eight-ninths of which contain five 
characters each. Why this number? If, as I suppose, and as 
above illustrated, each has four dates (four different years) this 
gives to each of these columns twenty years (4x5= 20), or one 
Katun, for even according to the theory of Perez, four years of 
his period were not generally counted. 

But before testing this suggestion, I wish to call attention to a 
certain regularity in the order of the days in these columns. The 
left hand column of the middle division of Plate x is composed of 
characters representing the following days (always reading from 
the top downwards) in the order here given : Oc, Cib, Ik, Lamat, 
Ix. If we turn to the list of days and count from one of these 
names to the other, we shall find in each case an interval of six 
days. The other column, same plate and division, contains the 
characters for Ahau, Cimi, Eb, Ezanab and Kan, with an interval of 
six days between each two. The column in the middle division 
of Plate VI shows an interval of five days between each two ; the 
columns on Plate xvii, of twelve days ; a column on Plate xxxi, 
of sixteen days ; but the usual interval is either six or twelve days. 
Although the interval is usually the same throughout a column, 
there are occasional departures from this rule, for example, in the 
left hand column of the upper division of Plate xiii, they are 
6, 6, 4 and 2 days. 

This fact, which is a marked characteristic of the work, is suffi- 
cient to show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the days are here 
used simply as dates, and not for the signification of the words, as 
Brasseur supposed, 

I understand that Charency has noticed a regularity in the 
order of the days, but as I have had no opportunity of examining 
his work, I am unable to state whether it is the fact here men- 
tioned or not. 

By examining Plates xx-xxiii, we see such a strong resem- 
blance between them that we are forced to believe they relate to 
one and the same subject ; the left hand column of each, which 
extends the whole length of the plate, is the repetition of a single 
day character with red numerals over each character. In Plate 
XXIII the character repeated is Cauac, one of the year bearers ; 
the numerals over them are as follows, and in the following order 
(reading from the top downwards): 10, i, 5, 9, 13, 4. S> 12, (?;, 
7, (?), 2, 6 — two of them being obliterated. 



634 



The Manuscript Troano. 



[August, 



Turning to Plate xxii we find the character for Kan repeated in 
the same way with the numerals over them as follows : ii, 2, 6, 
lo, I, 5, 9. (?). 4, 8, 12, 3, 7, II. 

On Plate xxi the character for Muluc is similarly repeated, and 
the numerals are I2, 3, 6, 10, i, 5, 9, 13, 4, 8, 2, 7, 3. 

On Plate xx Ix is similarly repeated, and here the numerals are 
13, (?), 8, 12,3,7,11,2,6, 10,1,5,9. 

If we construct a table of years for two cycles, and compare 
these numbers with those in the table, we shall find the two pre- 
cisely the same and in the same order, except the Muluc column 
which presents a partial variation which I will endeavor pres- 
ently to explain. We give both Cauac and Kan tables. 

TABLE VII. TABLE VIII. If we run our eyes down the 

Cauac column of either table 
until we reach 10, we shall find 
the numbers from thence down- 
wards as follows : 10, i, 5) 9> 
13,4, 8, 12, 3, 7, II, 2, 6, pre- 
cisely as in Plate xxiii. The 
same thing is true in reference 
to the Kan and Ix columns. 

The numbers on Plate xxi 
(Muluc) after the first two — 12 
and 3 — skip to 6 and continue 
regularly from thence to 8. If 
we start with 12, we find the 
next to be 3 as given, the next 
is 6 instead of 7, as it should 
be ; we notice that in the ad- 
joining Kan column the next 
figure is 6, and the numbers 
thence to 8 as given. May we 
not suppose that the author of 
the manuscript had a similar 
table (with numeral characters) 
before him, and that in copying 
13 I his eye fell on the wrong col- 

4 5 umn? That such tables were 

used by them is rendered prob- 
able by the following quotation 









U! 


% 


I 


2 


3 


5 


6 


7 


9 


10 


II 


13 


I 


2 


4 


5 


6 


8 


9 


10 


12 


13 


1 


3 


4 


5 


7 


8 


9 


II 


12 


13 


2 


3 


4 


6 


7 


8 



10 II 12 



12 

3 

7 

II 

2 
6 

10 
I 
5 
9 

13 
4 
7 

iij 12 
3 



9 


10 
I 


13 


4 


5 


8 


9 


12 


13 


3 


4 


7 


8 


II 


12 


2 


3 


6 


7 


10 


II 


I 


2 


5 


6 



13 



q|io 

I 

5 

9 

13 



which Perez makes from an ancient manuscript in his possession : 



1 88 1.] The Mannsaipt Troano. 635 

" There was another number which they called Ua Katun and 
which served them as a key to find the Katunes ; according to the 
order of its march it falls on the Uayeb haab, and revolves to the 
end of certain years, Katunes 13, 9, 5, i, 10, 6, 2, 1 1, 7, 3, 12, 8,4." 
By commencing at the bottom of either column of our table of 
years, and running up, we will find precisely these numbers, and 
in the order here given. It is scarcely possible these could have 
been obtained except by a table of years similar to those we have 
given. Be this as it may, the fact that these numerals and char- 
acters, as here interpreted, include a continuous period, is too 
plain to be ignored. The agreement in so many numbers and 
the order in which they come cannot be accidental. 

From this we are justified in concluding, ist. That these day 
characters are used simply to represent days ; 2d. That the red 
numerals are used to denote the days or years of the Maya 
"week " (as their period of 13 days and years has been termed, 
though they applied no name to it), which is corroborated by the 
fact that with the exception of two on the title page, none in the 
manuscript denote a greater number than 13 (there is one other 
apparent exception, but the additional dot is a blotch or evident mis- 
take); 3d. That the day columns are to be read from the top down- 
wards; 4th. That Landa's characters for the Maya days are correct; 
and 5th. That the work is some kind of a calendar, probably, con- 
taining directions to be followed by the priests and people in refer- 
ence to their religious duties. Now let us apply our theory to 
the day columns and numerals found in some of the other 
plates. 

We select as our first example the column in the lower division 
of Plate XXVI, as here both the red and black numerals are 1 3 
throughout. The day characters are those for Ahau, Eb, Kan, 
Cib and Lamat, in the order here given. According to the inter- 
pretation suggested, the red numerals refer to the days of the week 
and the black to the days of the month. Proceeding upon this 
assumption, we will now try to find out, by using these numbers, 
in what years 1 3 Ahau, 1 3 Eb, 1 3 Kan, 1 3 Cib and 1 3 Lamat are 
to be found in the 13th month. The result is as follows : 



Years . 



13 Ahau. 


ijEd. 


ij Kan. 


13 Cib. 


7j Lamat 


. 6 Cauac 


7 Cauac 


2 Cauac 


3 Cauac 


II Cauac 


. 4 Kan 


12 Kan 


7 Kan 


8 Kan 


3 Kan 


. 9 Muluc 


4 Muluc 


5 Muluc 


13 Muluc 


I Muluc 


. I Ix 


' 2lx 


10 Ix 


Six 


6Ix 



TABLE IX. 



The Manuscript Troano. 



[August, 





o 


OS 





.1— ( 


lo 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


S 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


11 




12 


^ 


"T 


2 




3 


4 


5 


6 




7 


8 


9 


10 




II 


12 


13 


^ II 


2 

6 


3^ 


4 


^ 




__7, 


1^ 


9 




10 


II 


' xz 


"'13 


\ 


p-. 


2 


Z 


i 


5 


6 


^7 


1 


^9 


10 


II 


12 
.3] 


1^3 


I 


2 


u 


S 


R-7 II 


^8f9' 


10 


II 





In order to bring clearly before the eye the 
places in the cycle where these years fall, we 
give here the Cauac table governing the period 
embraced in the four plates heretofore alluded 
to. Marking the numbers, we find a continu- 
ous period of twenty years, possibly one Ka- 
tun, though not in the precise order we would 
expect it, that is, it does not include five com- 
plete transverse lines. If we use the Kan table, 
we obtain the same result, except that then we 
shall have three years in the uppermost line 
and but one in the lowest. The years of this 
period are surrounded by a continuous dark 
line. 

As Plate XXVII appears to be a continuation of 
the same subject as that presented on Plate 
XXVI, we select the day column of the upper 
division. The days are 11 Ahau, 11 Eb, 11 
Kan, 1 1 Cib and 1 1 Lamat — the months all the 
1 3th. This gives us the following years : 



// Ahau. 

Years .... 4 Cauac 
" .... 2 Kan 
" .... 7'Muluc 



, 12 Ix 



ij Eb. 

5 Cauac 
10 Kan 

2 Muluc 
13 Ix 



II Kan. 

13 Cauac 
5 Kan 
3 Muluc 
8Ix . 



II Cib. 

I Cauac 
6 Kan 
II Muluc 
3 Ix 



11 Lamat. 

9 Cauac 
I Kan 

12 Muluc 
4 Ix 



The numbers which are surrounded in the table by a waved 
line, also form, as we see, a continuous period of twenty years. 
We likewise observe that between the periods there is an interval 
of four years. 

Plates VII, VIII, IX and x, of the second part of the manuscript, 
furnish perhaps the strongest proof of the correctness of my in- 
terpretation of the red numerals. The middle division of these 
plates evidently refers to one subject. Here we find thirteen 
short columns, of three day characters each, inserted in the text, 
each character with red numerals over it, and each column with 
black numerals at the bottom denoting 17, as the month. We 
give here the names of the days with the number of each as shown 
by the red numerals ; the order in which the columns occur is 



i88i.] 



The Manuscript Troano. 



637 



6Cib 


13 Cib 


7 Caban 


I Caban 


8 Ezanab 


2 Ezanab 


9 Cib 


3 Cib 


10 Caban 


4 Caban 


II Ezanab 


5 Ezanab 



5 Cib 12 Cib 

6 Caban 13 Caban 

7 Ezanab i Ezanab 

1 Cib 8 Cib 

2 Caban 9 Caban 

3 Ezanab 10 Ezanab 



2 Cib 

3 Caban 

4 Ezanab 



also preserved although we have strong doubts as to the correct- 
ness of Brasseur's paging. 

4 Cib II Cib 

5 Caban 12 Caban 

6 Ezanab 13 Ezanab 

10 Cib 7 Cib 

11 Caban 8 Caban 

12 Ezanab 9 Ezanab 

We see by examining the list of days in the Table No. 11, that 
these three days follow each other in the order here given, thus : 
if the first is 6 Cib, the next is 7 Caban and the next 8 Ezanab. 
It follows, therefore, that the three days of any one of these 
groups must fall in the same month^ and year, hence we have to 
search for but four years for each column — but 4 x 13 = 5^ 
years, an entire cycle. As the three numbers in a group will 
sufficiently designate the group, we will omit the names. 

Years. Years. Years. Years. TABLE X. 

6, 7, 8 7 Cauac 

13, I, 2....- I " 

4. 5, 6 5 " 

II, 12, 13 12 " 

5, 6, 7 6 « 

12,13, 1 13 " 

2, 3. 4 3 " 

9, 10, II 10 " 

3. 4. 5 4 " 

10, II, 12 II " 

7, 8, 9. 8 " 

I, 2, 3 2 " 

8, 9, 10 9 " 

If we mark in the table the numbers cor- 
responding with these years, we find that they 
make one complete cycle, neither more nor 
less. It is true we should find the same 
result, no matter where we begin in the cycle, but the point in- 
sisted on is, that they form a continuous term corresponding 
with one of the Maya periods. 

We give one more example. In the second division of Plates xxx 
and XXXI commencing on the left half of the former and continuing 
through the latter, we find a series of similar figures, except the 

-It is not necessary as a matter of course, that three successive days always fall in 
the same month, but in this case they do. In the Dresden codex plates 51-58, we 
find similar three day columns, some of which do not conform to this rule. 



Years. 


Years. 


Years. 


12 


Kan 


4 Muluc 


9 Ix 


6 


a 


n " 


3 " 


10 


(( 


2 « 


7 " 


4 


" 


9 " 


I " 


II 


ee 


3 " 


8 " 


5 


« 


10 " 


2 « 


8 


« 


13 '* 


5 " 


2 


tt 


7 " 


12 " 


9 


te 


I " 


6 « 


3 


" 


8 " 


13 " 


13 


<< 


5 " 


10 " 


•7 


(C 


12 " 


4 " 


I 


ti 


6 " 


II " 












6 




10 


II 


12 


13 


I* 


2* 

6* 


3* 

7* 


4* 
8* 


Q* 


10* 


II*, 


12* 


n* 


I* 


2* 


1* 


4* 
8* 


5* 


6* 
10* 


1* 
II* 


12* 


IS* 


I* 


2* 


3* 

7* 


4* 
8* 


5* 
9* 


6* 
10* 


n* 


12* 


IS* 


I* 


2* 
6* 


3* 
7* 


4* 
8* 


5* 

Q* 


10* 


II* 


12* 


13* 


I 


2 


3 


4 



638 



The Manuscript Troano. 



[August, 



one on the right of the first plate, which is the god Tlaloc, or 
Maya equivalent. Over each figure are red numerals differing in 
number, and in front black numerals all denoting 11. The red 
numerals are (?) 9, 7, 5, 3. The first is obliterated, but judging 
from the space, is i, but by the succession, is 1 1 ; however, as the 
result will be the same except as to the position of the period in 
the table, it does not make any material difference for present 
purposes, which we select. For reasons not necessary to be dis- 
cussed here, notwithstanding the strong evidence afforded by the 
succession of numbers, we are inclined to believe the missing 
number was i, and that the order was 9, i, 3, 5, 7. The days 
found at the left of the compartment on Plate xxxi, are Kan, Cib, 
Lamat, Ahau, Eb ; as each numeral applies to each day, the 
number of years indicated will be 5 x 5 X 4 = ioo> ^"^^ will be as 
follows, the month being the i ith in each case : 





9 Kan. 


9 Cib. 


g Lamat. 


9 Ahau. 


gEb. 


Years.. 


..12 Cauac 


13 Cauac 


8 Cauac 


3 Cauac 


4 Cauac 


<( 


. . 4 Kan 


5 Kan 


13 Kan 


I Kan 


9 Kan 


" .. 


. . 2 Muluc 


10 Muluc 


II Muluc 


6 Muluc 


I Muluc 


« 


.. 7lx 


2 Ix 


3 Ix 


II Ix 


12 Ix 




7 Kan. 


7 Cib. 


7 Lamat. 


7 Ahau. 


7 Eb. 


Years . . 


. . 10 Cauac 


II Cauac 


6 Cauac 


I Cauac 


2 Cauac 


« 


. . 2 Kan 


3 Kan 


II Kan 


12 Kan 


7 Kan 


« 


..13 Muluc 


8 Muluc 


9 Muluc 


4 Muluc 


12 Muluc 


•< 


.. Six 


13 Ix 


I Ix 


9 Ix 


10 Ix 




5 Kan. 


5 Cib. 


5 Lamat. 


J" Ahau. 


SEb. 


Years.. 


. . 8 Cauac 


9 Cauac 


4 Cauac 


12 Cauac 


13 Cauac 


" .. 


..13 Kan 


I Kan 


9 Kan 


10 Kan 


5 Kan 


<( 


..II Muluc 


6 Muluc 


7 Muluc 


2 Muluc 


10 Muluc 


" .. 


. . 3 Ix 


II Ix 


12 Ix 


7IX 


8Ix 




3 Kan. 


3 Cib. 


3 Lamat. 


3 Ahau. 


3Eb. 


Years . . 


. . 6 Cauac 


7 Cauac 


2 Cauac 


10 Cauac 


II Cauac 


« .. 


..II Kan 


12 Kan 


7 Kan 


8 Kan 


3 Kan 


(< 


. . 9 Muluc 


4 Muluc 


5 Muluc 


13 Muluc 


8 Muluc 


<( 


.. I Ix 


9IX 


10 Ix 


Six 


6Ix 




I Kan. 


/ Cib. 


/ Lamat. 


I Ahau. 


I Eb. 


Years . . 


. . 4 Cauac 


5 Cauac 


13 Cauac 


8 Cauac 


9 Cauac 


" ,. 


. . 9 Kan 


10 Kan 


5 Kan 


6 Kan 


I Kan 


(( 


. . 7 Muluc 


2 Muluc 


3 Muluc 


11 Muluc 


6 Muluc 


" .. 


. .12 Ix 


7lx 


Six 


3IX 


4lx 



We give here a table running through four cycles, on which 
we mark the five periods indicated by the preceding list. Each, 



i88i.] 



The Manuscript Troano. 



639 



13* 
4* 

12* 
3* 



\A 



10 flT 



2* 

6* 

10* 

I* 



12* 
3* 
7* 

II* 



7 


8 


9* 
13* 


10* 
I* 


II* 


12* 


2* 


t 


4* 


5* 


6* 


7* 


8* 


9* 


10* 
I* 


II* 


12* 


13* 


2* 


I3 


4 



as a. matter of course, embraces twenty years, but we observe 
TABLE XI. between each period 

four uncounted years. 
We must not presume 
from this that these 
years are never counted, 
as this is contradicted 
not only by the pre- 
ceding example but by 
others which might be 
presented ; still it does 
indicate that the view 
maintained by Perez 
was correct. Assuming 
that a Katun consisted 
of twenty-four years, 
we can see from this 
table why they were 
numbered in the pecu- 
liar manner heretofore 
mentioned. We see 
that the years with 
which the five, here 
marked, begin, are 11, 
9> 7> 5> 3> i'^ other words 
this order necessarily 
follows if the Katun or 
Ahau (we prefer the 
name Katun) consists 
of 24 years. If the upper and lower dark lines are extended 
across so as to include the whole 24 years, the periods will then 
commence with the years 9, 7, 5, 3, i, and will, as I believe, give 
us the correct numbers of these Ahaues. 

Our space will not permit us to give further examples or to 
discuss further the meaning and use of the numerals. But before 
closing we would ask the reader to turn again to our table No. vii. 
showing the period indicated by the characters on Plates xx — xxiii. 
As we see, this embraces part of two cycles, and includes parts 
of at least three Katuns. If I am correct, it will then include a 
period of time which was considered notable by that people. If 



5 


,i. 


7* 
II* 


8* 
12* 


9* 


10* 


13* 


I* 


2* 


3* 


4* 


5* 


6* 


7* 


8* 


9* 
13* 


10* 


II* 


12* 


I 


2 



3 


4 


5* 
9* 


6* 
10* 


ri" 


-w 


II* 


12* 


13* 


I* 


2* 


3* 


4* 


5* 


6* 


7* 

II*] 


8* 


9* 


10* 


12 


13 



I 


2 


3* 
7* 


4* 
8* 


5* 


b* 


9* 


10* 


II* 


12* 


13* 


I* 


2* 


3* 


4* 
8* 


5* 
9* 


6* 


7* 


10 
I 


II 


12 


13 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 


I 


2 


3 


4 


S 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


II 


12 


13 



640 The ManiLScript Troano. [August, 

we turn to Plate xxxiii, where Cauac is the ruhng character, we 
find, as I think, in the figures of the upper compartment, and in 
its ground-color, which is of a brownish or twilight tint, indica- 
tions of the close of some important period of time. We see 
Ahau with a fiery red face sinking out of sight in the lower, left- 
hand corner, casting back, as represented by the torch in his hand, 
his fiery beams as he sinks below the western horizon. We say 
" sinks below," because, just above is another (headless) figure on 
which is the character Caban or Cab which signifies " to descend," 
and the machete. The dark figure to the right drops ten white 
balls, to the last or upper of which he points one finger; while 
just above it we see a single dark one, with a slender streak of 
light in it, just leaving the hand. If we cast our eyes over the 
Cauac column of the tables we see that ten, of the first cycle, is 
followed by one, of the second. This 10 corresponds with the 10 
Cauac year in the next to the last group in Table xi. To the 
left, and directly in front of the face of the dark figure, are two 
characters connected, the lower one Cauac, the upper a rather 
unusual form of Ix. We have in this a symbol of the meeting of 
the two periods, the one ending with 13 Ix the other commencing 
with I Cauac. 

The most conspicuous object in the compartment is the bright 
blue figure in the upper left-hand corner, on a black ground, 
surrounded by a white bordering which is crossed by dotted rays, 
each ending with a small round character. By counting, we find 
there are just twenty-three of these rays, but exactly where the 
dagger crosses to the eye, is a space for one more — the 24th. 
One year more will complete the Ahau and then its light will go 
out forever. 

If we notice the single red dot over the second Canac character 
in the left-hand column of this Plate (xxiii), we observe that it is 
surrounded by a circle of dots, indicating its importance in some 
respect. 

We might go on to show that the figures in the upper compart- 
ments of the four Plates xx — xxiii all relate to the close or com- 
mencement of some important period, but our limits will not 
permit of this, moreover our only object in presenting the fore- 
going is to call attention to the evidence of the following con- 
clusions : 

1st, That the work is a religious calendar of some kind; 2d, 



1 88 1.] The Manuscript Troano. 641 

that the day characters are used for the purpose of designating the 
days and not for the signification of the words ; 3d, that Landa's 
characters for the day are at least substantially correct; 4th, that 
the columns composed of these characters are to be read from the 
top downwards; 5th, that the red numerals refer to the days or 
years of the week ; and 6th, that the black numerals in connec- 
tion with the day characters, as well as those in the spaces, usually 
refer to the numbers of the month. There are some apparent 
exceptions, but I have ascertained, as I can show, that these are 
only apparent and not real exceptions. I may also add that we 
have in what has been shown strong evidence that Perez was 
right in asserting that the Ahau consisted of 24 years. 

I have succeeded in deciphering a number of the hieroglyphics 
of the text but will not enter upon an explanation of these at 
present, as I have only commenced this part of the work. 



I 



..x-5^ 



